Match-box



No. s|4,74o. Patented Nov. 22, I898.

-J. A. MONTGOMERY. MATCH BOX.

(Application filed Dec; 26, 1896. Renewed. Sept. 21, 1897.)

(No Model.)

"cams PEI'ERS 00., PMOTMJTRQ, wAsmfmTou o c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. MONTGOMERY, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA;

MATCH-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 614,740, dated November 22, 1898.

Application filed December 26, 1896. Renewed September 21, 13 7- SeTifll 6521483 (N 111011813 T0 (oZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN A. MONTGOMERY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Match-Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in match-boxes, and has for its object to provide a match-box which is very simple and inexpensive in construction, easily operated, and which will contain the required number of matches, allow but one match to be withdrawn from the box at a time, and automatically ignite the fulminate of each match as it is withdrawn without any danger of setting the rest of the matches on fire.

My inventionconsists of the several features and combination of features, as more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of the match-box; Fig. 2, a horizontal section on line a; w of Fig. 1, looking toward the bottom of the box; Fig. 3, a horizontal section on line 1 y of Fig. 1, looking toward the top of the box; Fig. 4, a side elevation showing the sides of the box sprung apart; Fig. 5, a top plan view of the same; Fig. 6, a plan view of the blank from which the box is made as it appears when stamped out before being bent into shape, and Fig. 7 a sectional view of a modified form of matchigniting surface.

In the drawings, in which similar letters and numerals of reference denote similar parts throughout the several views, A designates the match-box, which may be of any form or configuration desired, of a size to accommodate matches of anylength and character and preferably made of one piece of sheet metal; but it may be made of any other suitable material-such, forinstance, as celluloid, rubber,w0od, paper, 850. The box is constructed of a single piece of material bent upon itself to form a bottom B and spring sides 0 D, said sides having their outer edges turned over to form side and top flanges O C (J and D D D respectively. The flanges of one side are adapted to fit within and be overlapped by the flanges of the other side.

0* is a hollow projection punched out of or otherwise formed in the top flange O and D a projection punched out of or otherwise formed in the top flange D the projection D being adapted to fit within the hollow projection C for the purpose of fastening the sides of the box together and also to form a pivot on which they are adapted to rock when pressure is applied thereto. The edge of the flange D is slightly rounded at D for the purpose of permitting the sides to rock on the pivot. The sides of the box are cut away at F F to form an opening G in the corner thereof and the edge of the cut-away portion of one side bent in slightly to form a match-retaining lip H to prevent a match from falling into said opening except when fed thereto and from falling back into the box after being fed into the opening. Adjacent to the opening G the interior surfaces of the sides of the box are corrugated or roughened, as at 3, by stamping, punching, or otherwise, to provide suitable igniting-surfaces for the matches as they are drawn out between the same. The bottom B of the box being in one piece with the sides, the side edges left free and the top edges being pivoted together, it will be seen that by applying pressure to the sides of the box they will rock on the pivot and the bottom will act as a spring, and when pressure is released it will return the sides to their normal position.

In the modification shown in Fig. 7 the match-igniting surfaces gradually increase in height as they approach the match-opening, so that the match will receive a gradual pressure and not be ignited until itis almost out of the box.

The operation is as follows: To fill the box with matches, the sides of the same are pressed together by the thumb and fingers at a point 1 on the opposite side of the pivot from the opening G, expanding the said opening and allowing a sufficient number of matches to be inserted in the box head downward. To withdraw a match, the box is held with the match-opening downward, the sides again pressed together at point 1, and the opening expanded, allowing one match to be fed therein. The sides then being released from pressure will assume their normal position by the spring action of the box-bottom, thus contracting the opening and preventing the match from falling back into the box and also present the end of the match so that it can be readily grasped, pressure then being applied to the sides of the box at a point 2 near the roughened portions. The match is then withdrawn, and as the fulminate on the head thereof passes between said roughened portions it is automatically ignited.

I do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction as herein shown and described, as the same may be modified without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The device is illustrated as a pocket matchbox; but it may be used as a wall, counter, or other match-box.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A match-box provided with an opening formed by removing one of its corners, said opening adapted to be expanded by pressure on the sides of the box, substantially as described.

2. A match-box provided with an opening formed by removing one of its corners, said opening adapted to be expanded and contracted by pressure on the sides of said box, substantially as described.

3. A matchbox provided with an opening formed by removing one of its corners, said opening adapted to be expanded and contracted by pressure on the sides of the box, said sides having a match-igniting surface or match-ignitin g surfaces adjacent to said opening, substantially as described.

4. A matchbox having an opening formed by removing one of its corners, the sides of said box pivoted together at one end and adapted to rock on the pivot when pressure is applied thereto and control the expansion and contraction of the said opening, substantially as described.

5. A match-box having sides pivoted together at one end, and an opening formed by removing one of its corners, having a matchignit-ing surface or match-igniting surfaces adjacent thereto, said sides adapted to rock on the pivot when pressure is applied to them and thereby expand and contract the said opening, substantially as described.

(3. A match-box made of a single piece of material bent upon itself to form the sides thereof, and having the edges of said sides bent so as to form overlapping flanges, two of said flanges pivoted together and adapted to rock on said pivot, and an opening in the edge of said box having a roughened surface adjacent thereto, said opening adapted to be expanded or contracted by pressure on the sides of said box, substantially as described.

7. A match-box provided with an opening formed by removing one of its corners, having a retaining-lip or retaining-lips, said opening adapted to be expanded or contracted by pressure on the sides of the box, substantially as described.

8. A match-box provided with an opening formed by removing one of its corners, having a retaining-lip or retaining-lips, and the sides of the box having a match-igniting surface or match-igniting surfaces adjacent to the opening, said opening adapted to be expanded and contracted by pressure on the sides of the box, substantially as described.

9. A match-box provided with an opening formed by removing one of its corners, and pivoted spring sides adapted to be operated by pressure thereon to control the expansion and contraction of said opening, substantially as described.

10. A matchbox provided with an opening formed by removing one of its corners, a match-igniting surface or match-igniting surfaces adjacent thereto, and pivoted spring sides adapted to be operated by pressure thereon to control the expansion and contraction of said opening, substantially as described.

11. A match-box provided with an opening in the edge thereof, and sides having pivoted overlapping flanges, the edges of one or more of said flanges rounded at opposite ends for the purpose of allowing said sides to rock on the pivot when pressure is applied to them, substantially as described.

12. A match-box provided with an opening formed by removing one of its corners, said opening adapted to be expanded orcontracted by pressure on the sides of the box, said sides having a graduated matclrignitin g surface or match-igniting surfaces adjacent to said opening, substantially as described.

13. A match-box provided with an opening formed by removing one of its corners, and a graduated matchdgniting surface, or graduated match-igniting surfaces having points of different heights and adjacent to said opening, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. MONTGOMERY.

\Vitnesses:

T. A. BELL, J. Enwnnns. 

